Crime plans and rhetoric on crime have taken us nowhere

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) recently released some troubling statistics that there has been an increase in murders in the first two weeks of this year, when compared to the same period last year.

According to the JCF stats, there were 61 murders recorded as at January 13, in addition to 34 shootings and 34 robberies.

Despite the slight decrease in the shootings and robberies to date, and that there were only 47 murders that were committed during the corresponding period last year, we should be ashamed of ourselves for allowing mayhem and lawlessness to prevail at the expense of our citizens.

Our crime situation has got way out of control; it is anything but normal. But our leaders keep pussyfooting around the issue and continuously fail to implement effective and sustainable measures to put an end to the bloodletting and the rampant criminality.

It appears as if we have thrown our hands in the air and given in to these dog-hearted monsters, lawlessness, and public disorder. Our situation is getting worse by the day with seemingly no solutions at hand.

It is clear that these criminals benefit from crime in one way or the other. But one has to wonder if our elected officials and the authorities that are responsible for our safety and security are complicit in it, and are themselves benefiting from crime as well.

We always find the resources to do other things, so why can't we find it to adequately address our dire crime situation?

Citizens are now like sitting ducks.

If we were doing what we were supposed to do, and focusing on the practical solutions, then we wouldn't have to be alarmed by things like the US State Department's Travel Advisory warning Americans about the dangers of travelling to our beautiful country, however sensational we may want to consider it.

We have failed miserably, and by the rate at which we are going, we will soon be condemned by the international community.

Tourism is one of our main income earners, but it goes without saying that the negative effects on that sector are imminent due to our lack of will and the obvious incompetence in fighting crime.

Can we afford that?

Enough with the crime plans and statements and rhetoric that have not got us very far. Find the guts to be effective in curbing crime and make Jamaica safe again, or we may not even live to regret it.

Dujon Russell

dujon.russell@yahoo.com

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